Here are a few trail loops in Central Colorado (Salida, Buena Vista, Taylor Park, Gunnison, and Crested Butte). The descriptions are very brief. Part of the challenge and enjoyment is to fill in the details to personalize your ride. Detailed trail loop descriptions are available also.
Fooses/Sargents Loop -
Highway 50, east of Monarch Pass. Park on CR225 near the small
reservoir. North Fooses 2-track, Crest Tr, Agate Cr Tr, Highway
50 to Sargents, dirt road to Long Branch station, return on one
of the following routes (each is progressively longer):
a) Big Bend to Summit Tr, see ending below.
b) Long Branch to Summit Tr, see ending below.
c) West Fork, Baldy Lake to Summit Tr, see ending below.
d) West Fork, Hicks Connector, Dutchman Cr, Left Hand, Needle
Res Rd, Right Hand, Barret Park, Razor Cr to Summit Tr, see ending
below.
Ending via Summit Tr through Sargents Mesa and Cameron Park to Marshall Pass, Crest Tr, Green Creek, Maysville, Highway 50 to vehicles.
Shirley/Sargents Loop - A variation on the above loop is to start and finish at Shirley Site (drive south from Poncha Springs on US285 about 3 miles to Mears Junction, west on FR200 about 3 miles to Shirley Site). Ride up Poncha Cr to Marshall Pass, then north on the Crest Tr to the Agate Cr/Lime Cr turnoff and do a loop as described above. When you get to Marshall Pass, ride down Poncha Cr to Shirley Site.
Any of these loops can be as long as 120 miles, easy enough if you gas up at Sargents. Of course, you could do a shorter loop and get back to town early enough to soak and swim in the hot pool for an hour before dinner (get tickets at the motel).
Sargents north to Pitkin/Tincup Loop - Highway 50, west of Monarch Pass. Park at Daly Gulch, about 1 mile northeast of Sargents. Daly Gulch, Quakey, Wuanita Cr, Canyon Cr, Horse Shoe, South Quartz, Pitkin, Napolean Pass, Tincup, Cumberland Pass, Pitkin, Horse Trails, Canyon Cr, SnowBlind, Whitepine Rd. Notes: Horse Shoe is very difficult; South Quartz and Napolean Pass can be very muddy in a wet year.
Fossil Ridge Loop 1 - Ohio City. Park on a dirt road (CR882) with a green gate about one-half mile south of Ohio City. 2-track up Willow Cr, Willow Cr Tr, Fossil Ridge, Gold Cr, Fairview, Pitkin, dirt road to vehicles.
Fossil Ridge Loop 2 - Ohio City. Park on a dirt road (CR882) with a green gate about one-half mile south of Ohio City. 2-track up Willow Cr, Willow Cr Tr, Fossil Ridge, Gold Cr, Cameron Cr, Union Park to Taylor Park Trading Post, Tincup, Cumberland Pass, Pitkin, dirt road to vehicles.
Farris Cr north and east - Crested Butte. About two miles south of Crested Butte, drive east on Brush Cr Rd (CR738). Park in a trailhead parking lot on the left, about two miles from the highway. Ride east on Brush Cr Rd, turn left onto West Brush Cr Rd, after 2-3 miles, turn right onto the trail that crosses the hillside, Teocali Ridge, Brush Cr Rd to Pearl Pass, return to last major junction, East Brush Cr Rd, Brush Cr Tr (400), Crystal Pk Tr, Cement Cr, Hunter's Hill, Double Top, Block & Tackle, dirt road to vehicles.
Spring Cr Reservoir Loop - North of Gunnison and Almont. Park near the reservoir. Ride south on Spring Cr Rd to Deadman Rd, turn right onto Deadman Rd, Rosebud Gulch, Rosebud cutoff, Deadman Gulch, Bear Cr, Flag Cr, Flag Mtn Tr, Star, Lily Pond, Dorchester, Taylor River Rd, Gunnison Spur, turn right (west) onto Doctor Park Rd, Spring Cr Rd back to vehicles.
Taylor Park Info
<http://www.wildernet.com>
Click on Colorado state in the US map or Select
Colorado in the state list and click GO
Click on the Gunnison label in the area map.
Select Off-Highway Vehicles in the scrolling list on the right and click GO.
There should be 51 trails and roads listed and over 40 of them are in or near Taylor Park. Click on a name in the Activity column to see a description. (Print the description.) Use a Gunnison Basin NF map to locate the trails and roads. Although there are many more roads than trails, many roads are rugged enough that they are a challenge; they often lead to interesting places, too.
If you select Hiking & Walking in the scrolling list, you'll get 111 trails and roads. Many of the trails are open to motorized use. Try Mountain Biking also.
Revised - July 25, 2003.